Bolasky lifts A's past Tri-City

Scott Bolasky keeps Fleetwings' offense in check, giving Banko a 5-3 win in Game 1.

By Mark Bentz

    SCHERERSVILLE -– The knock on the Banko Athletics throughout the entire season has been that their pitching is not strong enough to make a run in the post-season. However, Scott Bolasky did his best to discount that notion.

    Bolasky (1-0) threw a complete game and allowed only seven hits to the powerful Tri-City offense as the sixth-seeded A’s knocked off the third-seeded Fleetwings on their home field, 5-3. The victory puts Tri-City on the brink of elimination and leaves the A’s one win shy of advancing to the Tri-County league semi-finals.

    Banko got the evening off on the right foot by scoring a run in the first inning. After Tri-City starter Dan Dillon (0-1) got the first two batters out, Rob Gontkosky drew a walk. Clean-up hitter and DH Mark “Crash” Davis ripped an 0-1 fastball into the right-center field gap that scored Gontkosky from first base. Jud Frank singled two pitches later, but Dillon worked out of the jam by striking out Paul Woodling.

    The Fleetwings evened the score in the bottom of the first. Just like the A’s in the top of the frame, Tri-City scored their run with two away. Justin Godusky and Ben Swatsky singled to set things up for Dave Toth. Toth ripped the Fleetwings third consecutive single to score Godusky and tie the game. But Bolasky enticed Matt Hlay to fly out to right field to end the threat.

    The next two innings went by quickly as it appeared that the pitchers had taken over this game. It still appeared that way in the top of the fourth as the A’s had a man on second with two outs when Bob Breitfeller chopped a ground ball between second and third. Unfortunately for Tri-City, shortstop Paul Santay’s throw to first was high and wild and enabled Josh Rea to score. Catcher Jason Strunk followed with a booming drive to center field that went for a ground-rule double that brought in Breitfeller to make the score 3-1 in favor of the A’s.

    Tri-City battled right back in the bottom half of the fourth. Swatsky led off with a sharp single that bounced over the head of shortstop Matt Long. Toth came through again in the clutch with a line drive down the line in right that bounced into the weeds for a ground-rule double. With runners on second and third, Hlay ripped a shot up the middle. Bolasky managed to knock the ball down and caught Swatsky leaning off third base for the first out. After Ryan Palos struck out, Teague Fatzinger grounded a single into right field for an RBI scoring Toth, but Hlay was held at third. It appeared that could have been a costly mistake, but Long’s throw on a ground ball hit by Jeremy Arner pulled Breitfeller off the bag at second, which allowed Hlay to score. Through four innings, the game was tied at three runs apiece.

    Neither team scored in the fifth, so the action shifted to the top of the sixth. New A’s shortstop Steve Rohn led off with a bunt single and advanced to second on Toth’s throwing error. Breitfeller continued the bunting theme by sacrificing Rohn to third. That set the stage for Strunk to scorch a ground ball into the outfield for an RBI single and put Banko up 4-3. Gontkosky grounded into a double play to end the inning.

    Bolasky retired the Fleetwings in order in the bottom of the sixth as he appeared to be getting stronger as the game continued. It seemed that the A’s needed one more run for insurance purposes in the seventh, and that’s exactly what they got. Davis led off with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Andy Hammer. Hammer advanced to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a long fly out to right field from Frank. Santay then saved the day for the moment for Tri-City by making a great diving effort to stop Woodling’s ground ball, hold Hammer at third and then throw Woodling out at first. But Nick D’Amico made it a moot point anyway as he singled into the hole to bring in Hammer.

    Bolasky finished it out by getting two ground-ball outs and then a fly out to center fielder Rea to end the game. In all, Bolasky retired the last eight batters of the game in order after Matt Marcks’ single in the fifth. He finished with four strikeouts and zero walks in the complete game victory. Dillon was hurt by the free pass as he issued five walks and eight hits over his seven innings.

    Offensively Strunk led the A’s by going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Davis, who was unable to catch due to an injury, still served as the designated hitter and was 2-2 with a double and an RBI. Swatsky and Toth each had two hits for Tri-City.

    The same two teams will square off tomorrow night at Scherersville #5, the home field of the Athletics. Game time is at 5:00. If Tri-City wins tomorrow, Game Three will be Tuesday back at Scherersville #1 at 5:45.